Good Morning,
“Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!
Habakkuk 3:17-18
Brooks Buser is a former missionary and President of Radius International, an organization focused primarily on church planting in regions of the world where there is still no translated Word. I listened to a teaching from him this weekend and he referenced an article that had me hitting the rewind button more than once. He cited a paper by Aaron Renn of the American Reformer. Renn maintains that there are Positive, Neutral and Negative worlds in regards to the way society views Christianity. The Positive Era was pre-1994. Society held a positive view of Christianity and Christian morals were accepted as the norm. Christianity was a status enhancer. In the Neutral Era (1994-2014), the church no longer had influential status. The church began the downward slide of assimilating to the secular world. During this time, Christianity appeared to those outside the church as a club or a hobby for Sunday mornings. In the Negative Era (2014-present) the world has become more hostile to Christianity and its beliefs. Church attendance has declined and being vocal about a relationship with Jesus can be detrimental to our careers and lives. This era requires no more explanation because we are living in it and we should not be surprised if we are students of the Word.
But this week, I personally witnessed an entire week in direct opposition to the Negative Era we are all experiencing today. I saw a church filled with children singing praise songs, learning and memorizing the Word, people serving, and donations to those less fortunate filled the floor. Brooks emphatically expressed that the “Christian witness through the Church is the most powerful tool in any age to combat the world.” And the tangible evidence of that could be seen daily during Vacation Bible School. What joy it was to watch the Good News be planted in those little souls. And if Renn is correct in his assessment, VBS and all evangelism efforts are more important today than ever.
It feels like in every direction we turn there is more bad news, something else to fear, violence and hatred. It is incredibly easy to allow this Negative Era to consume and infiltrate our minds but we must exude the joy of our salvation for all to see and share it. It is the only lasting cure for the negative of this world. The joy of salvation and a relationship with Jesus can not be compared to anything this world has to offer. This is my sincere prayer, “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”(Romans 15:13) Choose today to overflow! And that’s your Tuesday Tidbit.
The trees in the Garden of Gethsemane are estimated to be over 900 years old. They line the paths where Jesus walked and prayed. They are a sight to behold!